ANNVILLE, Pa. – The Lebanon Valley field hockey team will be looking to post a pair of upsets this week as the Dutchmen compete as the fourth seed in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom Championship. The Dutchmen will take on top-seeded and 10th-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology in the Semifinals on Wednesday.
 
LVC is making its third consecutive appearance in the conference tournament. They were also the fourth seed last year, taking top-seeded Arcadia University to overtime. This season, the Dutchmen are 11-7 and qualified for the fourth seed with a 4-3 conference mark. All seven of their losses were by one goal. They will take on the top-seeded Ducks at 4 p.m. on Wednesday in Hoboken, New Jersey, at the DeBaun Athletic Complex. Stevens won the regular season matchup 2-1 to begin conference play on Oct. 11 in a thrilling game where all three goals were scored in the second quarter. Second-seeded Misericordia University will host third-seeded DeSales University on Wednesday in Dallas at 7 p.m. in the other semifinal pairing. The winners meet on Saturday at the site of the highest remaining seed to determine the conference champion.
 
There is an admission cost for all conference tournament games. Prices are set by the conference office and are $10 for adults, and $5 for seniors (65+) and youth (7-17). MAC students with an ID and children six and under with an adult are free.
 
LVC enters the conference tournament battle-tested after playing three nationally ranked teams during the season. The Dutchmen are outscoring their opponents 59-15 this year, including 32-7 during conference play. The defense has been outstanding with a conference-leading 0.83 goals against average and allowing just 8.3 shots per game.
 
Claire Weidenhammer leads the offense with a conference-leading 41 points on 18 goals and five assists. She has scored multiple goals in five games this year. Rebecca Lane has a team-leading 10 assists and seven goals for 24 points. Gracie Johnson also has scored seven goals and added two assists for 16 points. Jillian Tait has worked her way into the starting lineup with seven goals for 14 points. Lauren Foster adds 13 points on five goals and three assists. Amelia Taube has anchored the defense and leads the conference with six defensive saves while being a big reason why the Dutchmen have allowed limited scoring opportunities in each game for their opponents. She has been joined on the backline by Olivia Lobecker, who has also frustrated forwards this season.
 
The Dutchmen have received significant contributions from a pair of rookies, as Danika Setlock and Lilah Shaub have recorded 12 points on five goals and two assists each. Madison Brewer has come off the bench to provide the offense with seven points on three goals and one assist. Joanna Ehrhart and Abby Rodenberger have five points apiece as Ehrhart scored one goal and added three assists while Rodenberger dished out five assists. Maggie McAteer scored one goal, and Reese Arnold has been strong in the midfield while recording one assist.
 
Ella Weidenhammer has been a force in the cage for the Dutchmen as the last line of defense. The junior has a 0.90 goals against average and leads the conference with a 0.830 save percentage. Emma Mitchell has seen action in seven games and has not allowed a goal in 146 minutes of work.
 
Stevens has won the past two conference championships and three out of the last four. DeSales broke up their run with their first title in 2022. The Ducks have gone undefeated in conference play this year. LVC is looking to reach the conference final for the first time since 2019, when they fell to Messiah in the MAC Commonwealth Championship. Misericordia and DeSales also met on Oct. 11 in the first conference game of the season, with the Cougars winning 3-2 in Center Valley. The Dutchmen dropped a pair of back-to-back heartbreakers on the road to the Cougars and Bulldogs in the past two weeks. MU defeated the Dutchmen 2-1 on Oct. 25, and then DSU won 3-2 on Oct. 29.

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